Mayweather vs McGregor: Cleverly promises ‘real fight’ with Jack on undercard

Nathan Cleverly will defend his WBA light heavyweight title against Badou Jack on the August 26 Mayweather-McGregor undercard in Las Vegas, and with that fight seen as — as he puts it — a “one-off freak event,” he’s promising to bring the real fight in a support slot.

"The chief support, you've got the real, real fight between myself and Jack. Two genuine, world-class operators putting it on the line. This could be the real fight of the night and I'm looking to capitalise on that. [Mayweather-McGregor is] one of these once-in-a-blue-moon fantasy fights; it's captured the public's imagination.”

Cleverly said he can’t knock McGregor for taking the chance, but he sees this the way most boxing fans seem to:

"It's massive, the magnitude and scale of this event. It's a great opportunity for us that this fight is part of this show. Mayweather deserves that pinnacle position in boxing; McGregor that pinnacle position in UFC. Does he deserve the opportunity in boxing? No, but can you blame him for making it happen? No you can't.”

The 30-year-old Cleverly (30-3, 16 KO) won his last fight in October 16, beating Jürgen Brähmer in Germany to win his title, following a fight a year earlier that he lost to Andrzej Fonfara, a bloody battle in Chicago.

Jack (21-1-2, 12 KO) is coming up from 168 pounds for this fight, following a draw in January against James DeGale. He’d won five straight before that, including a DQ victory over Lucian Bute, a fight that was originally ruled a draw — quite controversially, with most feeling Jack had won the fight — but changed after Bute failed a drug test. He’s also beaten George Groves and Anthony Dirrell recently, in 2015.